Friday 22 July 5.30pm, Heritage Hotel, 35 Hobson St, AucklandAuckland Action Against Poverty is organising a picket this week: The right wing Maxim Institute is hosting a dinner that night at 6pm at which UK Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Iain Duncan Smith, will be the guest speaker. Mr Smith is a prime mover behind welfare reforms in the UK which are causing increasing destitution and even suicide among claimants, particularly people who are being pushed off the invalids benefit. He is also presiding over ever increasing privatisation of welfare and employment , including forced work for dole schemes in the private sector. His reforms are the model for much of our National Government’s Rebstock Report, currently under consideration by a high powered Ministerial group. AAAP is organising this picket because we: • Seek to stand in solidarity with welfare claimants in the UK who are suffering hugely as a result of what Mr Smith is inflicting on them there. • Want to draw attention to the links between the UK reforms and the National Government’s approach to welfare. It would be great if you and other members of your group could join us next Friday. If you are able to get this information out to other people in your organisation and any associated networks, that would be really helpful as well. For more information, please feel free to email me at bradford.sue73 or Karen at karendavis700. With thanks for any support you can give – best wishes, Sue Bradford, Auckland Action Against Poverty. See: Visiting UK Welfare Minister to Face Picket http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1107/S00131/visiting-uk-welfare-minister-to-face-picket.htm

About

Through my involvement with this group I have become a Judicially recognised ‘Public Watchdog’ on Metrowater and Auckland regional governance matters.

I have also been publicly acknowledged as an “Anti-corruption campaigner”.
I have started my blog so that those who are not on the email can access the information .

I was an Auckland Mayoral candidate – standing to help STOP THE $UPERCITY – the corporate takeover of the Auckland region, which has been forced upon the public majority without our lawful consent through a ‘binding poll’.

I stood in the Botany by-election as an independent candidate, on an anti-corruption / pro-transparency, anti-privatisation/asset sale platform.

I believe that is is high time that NZ got our ‘House’ in order, and established the legislative framework to prevent and fight corruption, and ensure genuine transparency and accountability in local and central government and within the judiciary.

I am currently standing in the Auckland Council Howick Ward by-election on the following ‘platform’:

NO RATE$ INCREASES!

CUT OUT THE CONSULTANTS AND THE PRIVATE CONTRACTORS!

OPEN THE BOOKS!

GIVE US THE NAMES OF THE CONTRACTORS; SCOPE, TERM AND VALUE OF THE CONTRACTS!

BRING BACK COUNCIL WORKS DEPARTMENTS!

PROVIDE COUNCIL SERVICES ‘IN-HOUSE’ AND CUT OUT ALL THOSE PRIVATE ‘PIGGIES -IN -THE -MIDDLE’!

If private sector provision is SO ‘efficient’ – then how come over the last 20 years rates have gone up – not down?)